United Methodist Anti-Gay Legislation Called Heresy by Northwest Advocacy Group

March 27, 2001, Olympia, WA - A Pacific Northwest advocacy group of United
Methodists today accused their denomination's national lawmaking body of
heresy for its anti-homosexual legislation.

The charge came from The Reconciling Ministries Network in the Pacific
Northwest, a coalition of lay and clergy in Washington State and North Idaho,
part of the national Reconciling Ministries Network, committed to welcoming
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons into full and equal
participation in their denomination.

A spokesperson for the Pacific Northwest group, David Sutton, of Olympia,
explained that, after ten months of study, the group has determined the
General Conference's legislation to be "unfaithful to the teachings of Jesus,
inconsistent with Christian theology, inappropriate to United Methodist
polity, and dysfunctional in our practice as Christian disciples."

Sutton pointed out that many thousands of lesbians and gays are faithful,
practicing Christians. "We believe that one's sexual orientation is morally
neutral," he said, "and that homosexuality and Christianity are fully
compatible."

In its major policy document released today, the regional unit issued a
sweeping denunciation of recent actions of the United Methodist General
Conference's anti-gay legislation. The General Conference, which sets the
denomination's rules of operation and positions of principle, last year
tightened further its 30-year campaign against homosexuality.

It had earlier declared "We do not condone the practice of homosexuality and
consider its practice incompatible with Christian teaching." The denomination
also refuses ordinations of lesbian or gay persons as clergy, and prohibits
the performing of same-gender unions, either by its clergy or in United
Methodist churches.

The Reconciling Ministries Network of the Pacific Northwest is challenging
all United Methodists to study the issues surrounding homosexuality in the
light of the teachings of Jesus, those of the denomination's founder, John
Wesley, and the historic teachings of their United Methodist Book of
Discipline.

The Reconciling Ministries Network of the Pacific Northwest took the historic
action by adopting and releasing a detailed position paper titled, "To Plead
the Cause." It outlines nine misconceptions about homosexuality, which they
claim led their General Conference "to theological heresy, moral sin and
ecclesiastical apostasy."

The paper urges United Methodists to debate the issues, to advocate for
changing the church's official position, and to welcome lesbians and gays,
"looking to the day when Christ's broken body may be reunited."

The paper accuses the General Conference of three fundamental errors, based
on nine common misconceptions about homosexuality. These led it to the
theological heresy, moral sin and denominational apostasy of which it is
accused today.

The full 17-page, 10,000 word document, authored by the Rev. Paul Beeman,
DesMoines, WA, is available for download: